Clifden Poor Law Union, Minute Book, 1890-1891
Includes
-‘That it is most essential to the public health to construct waterworks in the town of Clifden….
That an experienced Engineer be employed to prepare an estimate for the Guardians of the total cost of reservoirs, of channel, of pipes, of laying down same, of fencing, of damage or injury to land or of acquiring land, the cost of four fountains in the Town, etc…’ (30 Apr 1890).
-‘Resolved in pursuance of notice of motion that taking into consideration the long and faithful services of our efficient Clerk (Mr Burke) for over 30 years, and the fact that he has paid an assistant out of his salary for the past 15 years, and that the duties of his office are fairly increasing we consider it would be materially to the interest of the Union to have a permanent assistant appointed at a remuneration of £1 per week, by so doing we will be securing the services of Mr Burke for more years to come as our Clerk, and the further consideration that it is absolutely necessary that an assistant should be appointed in connection with the Seed Rate, a matter of vital importance to the Union, otherwise that Mr Burke’s salary be increased to such an extent as that proposed for a permanent assistant viz £1 per week. That Festy King be appointed a permanent assistant Clerk at £1 per week’ (pp121-122, see also p312).
-‘That we the Guardians…..having carefully examined into the state of the potato crop in our several Electoral Divisions find it so seriously damaged by the blight that we consider scarcely a third of the expected crop will be available as food for the people. We therefore feel it our regretful but imperative duty to bring the matter under the notice of the Government, trusting means will be taken to provide against any emergency by at once commencing the constructions of the Galway and Clifden Railway thereby affording honest remunerative employment for the people’ (p154b, 20 Aug 1890).
-Details of salaries paid (pp197-198 and p325).
-‘The Clerk submitted estimates of repairs required to be made in workhouse buildings and stated that they would amount to £300 or £400.
The Board having had under consideration the estimate for the repairs of the workhouse amounting to the sum of £400, are of opinion that although the repairs are required they feel that in the present financial state of the Union they could not undertake so large an outlay but the Board earnestly request the LGB to come to their aid out of any available funds in their control’ (p202, see also p217).
-‘LGB letter no. 39633 dated 14 October 1890 forwarding letter from Eliza Burke, an inmate of workhouse…’ (p217, see also p249).
-‘Resolved: That owing to the distress that is likely to prevail and is now actually prevailing in this Union the Board consider that the Railway work, grateful as we are for it, will not meet the wants of the poor in the remote districts of this Union and that we respectfully ask the Government to open some other useful public works in the parts too remote from the railway works, and we would suggest that the people in the remote places get employment in repairing or making piers or harbours, or making roads or any other works the Government would consider useful and knowing how demoralising any system of gratuitous relief is we would respectfully submit that it would be better give the people employment or their own holdings than any such relief. Knowing that the hands of the Chief Secretary are full of other important business a copy of this be sent for expediency to the Under Secretary…’ (p282).
-Tributes to John Burke, deceased, Clerk of the Union, including one from James H. Tuke, who established the assisted emigration scheme in the early 1880s (pp330-31).
-‘Resolved that observing the widespread distress which now exists in the several electoral divisions of this Union, and that the construction of the Railway from Galway to Clifden has not so far given employment to one fourth of the applicants for work thereon, we consider it our duty to call the attention of the Chief Secretary to the wants of the poor as here exist with the view of opening up relief works to give employment to the many applications for work and that part of the charitable funds now in possession of the Chief Secretary may be applied to this District with a view of, as early as possible, relieving the distressful poor’ (p410c).